The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) posted a map today detailing the benefits for the Recovery Plan.  The DCCC has made Congressman Calvert one of 12 GOP House members they are targeting in an e-mail, text, and telephone campaign calling these members out for voting against the stimulus package.  As the DCCC states, “Congressman Ken Calvert’s vote against President Obama’s economic recovery package means that he tried to block a badly needed and shovel-ready project to repair streets in Riverside, California, creating 23 jobs alone.”

To view the map, visit www.DCCC.org/Content/Recovery

In Mr. Calvert’s world of bizarre partisan purity, the Stimulus Bill spends too much. This argument hardly seems credible coming from a gentleman who voted to bailout banks and corporate CEOs to the tune of seven hundred billion dollars with no oversight, and who repeatedly voted to spend a budget-busting trillion dollars in Iraq.

As of November 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked Riverside the highest unemployment rate in the country (surpassing Detroit).  Failed trade agreements, deregulated financial markets, and tax policies that have encouraged the concentration of great wealth into pockets of a handful of Americans have put the middle class at risk.  All things that Mr. Calvert supported and voted for.  Today, in Riverside County hundreds of businesses have shut their doors.

By voting against this Bill, Mr. Calvert once again proves how out-of-touch he is with his own constituents and why he lost 80% of his district.

To help oust Calvert once and for all, visit HedrickforCongress.com and donate to the campaign.

On Wednesday, February 18th the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) posted this press release…

Shady Representative Calvert Land Deal Still in Court

Did Calvert and Co. get special treatment to ‘further curry political favor’?  With questions still swirling about Representative Ken Calvert’s role in the purchase of public land, a $1.5 million lawsuit alleging the land sale may have been improper – or worse – continues to make its way through Riverside County Superior Court.

“Representative Calvert’s shady land deal refuses to go away.  After all, Calvert and his partners got a sweetheart deal on a prime piece of property that avoided a competitive bidding process and was done to ‘further curry political favor, relations and influence,'” said Andy Stone, Western Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  “Congressman Calvert should spend less time focusing on his real estate holdings and more time addressing the needs of his constituents like he could have done by supporting the economic stimulus package which is projected to create 9,000-plus jobs in California’s 44th District.  The fact that Calvert’s ‘rare’ economic chat today is a ‘private’ fundraiser shows how out of touch he is.”

Calvert says he was a silent partner in the $1.2 million deal to acquire a plot of land near new residential construction to build self-storage units.  

But it appears the Jurupa Community Services District sold the property to Calvert and his partners without first offering it to other public agencies, as required by law.  That means Calvert and his partners were able to buy a plot of land, close to the freeway, in a booming real estate market – with no competitive bidding.  In fact, a Riverside County grand jury found that the community services district violated the law when it sold the land to Calvert and his partners.

And the lawsuit goes even a step further calling the land sale “actual fraud, corruption and actual malice” and alleges that the land was sold to Calvert – who had previously supported federal legislation benefiting the Jurupa Community Services District – and his partners as a way to “further curry political favor, relations and influence.”  Of course, Ken Calvert has a long history of engaging in questionable land deals, even reportedly coming under investigation by the FBI because of allegations about Calvert-sought earmarks benefiting his property holdings.  

(It’s good to see the DCCC investing. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), today announced the DCCC is launching a “Putting Families First” ad and grassroots campaign in 28 targeted Republican districts throughout the country.  Our district (the 44th) is one of those included.

These ads will remind voters that members of Congress in these 28 districts (including Representative Calvert) voted to bail out big banks last year, but opposed tax breaks for 95 percent of American workers.  And while Mr. Calvert gets his health care at taxpayers' expense, this past week he also voted against health care for 11 million uninsured children.

The Putting Families First ads begin airing on Tuesday morning (February 3, 2009) during drive time and will run for a week.

In addition to the strategic radio ads in these 28 Republican districts, the DCCC will also begin a grassroots initiative which includes targeted e-mails to 3 million voters and nearly 100,000 person-to-person telephone calls.

 To read more about this new series of ads, visit the DCCC site at:  http://dccc.org/blog/archives/dccc_announces_families_first_ad_campaign/

Dear Friends,

I’m here in Washington, DC, for meetings and was privileged yestreday to attend the inauguration of our 44th president, Barack Obama.  As you can imagine, it’s been impossible to walk the streets of the capital and not feel the overwhelming sense of anticipation and optimism radiating from the crowds.  Like you, I have awaited this inauguration with tremendous anticipation because of my great hope for real change after the damaging Bush policies of the last eight years.  As Americans, we suddenly are overflowing with optimism because the presidency is to be assumed by a man whose experiences bring a unique understanding of our nation’s history, diversity, and challenges.

Our challenges, though serious, are by no means insurmountable. During the next four years, I believe we will see genuine progress in the fight to guarantee health care for all Americans, as well as a renewed urgency to address the degradation of our environment during the Bush presidency.  President Obama has assembled an excellent team to tackle the economic quagmire left behind by the Bush Administration and we expect major investment in our

country’s infrastructure.  Moreover, unlike its predecessor, we fully expect an Administration that respects the rule of law.

A third of all Americans call this inauguration the nation’s most historic.  I join that third in their sentiment.   As the Obama Administration assumes the nation’s helm, I very much regret that I will not be able to fight for the residents of the 44th Congressional District from within the halls of Congress in this next session.  However, we will continue our fight to bring effective representation to our district-representation that reflects the real values of our residents!

All over DC the signs say, “Yes, we did!”  As we look toward 2010 in the 44th Congressional District, we say proudly, “Yes, we will!”

Bill Hedrick